First published in 1865 in the wake of the Civil War, The American Republic was Orestes Brownson's crowning text. The mature intellectual and political philosopher, having long since wrestled his way through Congregationalism, Presbyterianism, Universalism, Transcendentalism, and Unitarianism to become a passionate Catholic apologist, emerges here as a political realist as well as a theorist. Brownson presents his insightful and sobering thoughts on the nature, necessity, extent, authority, origin, and constitution of government in the light of the problems caused by secession and reconstruction. A 90-page introduction by political philosopher Peter Augustine Lawler substantially reevaluates Brownson's perception and continuing relevance.